Malawi’s vice president, Chilima, dies in a plane crash.

Vice President of Malawi Chilima died in a plane crash.

The Vice President of Malawi, Saulos Chilima, sadly died in a plane crash, taking the lives of nine others. The incident occurred during a government flight that unexpectedly disappeared from radar. The rescue services managed to locate the plane in a foggy forest area.

President Lazarus Chakwera confirmed in a televised address that Chilima and the other nine people on board had died. He expressed his regret at the tragic event that resulted in no survivors on board the military plane. The missing plane tried to land in the city of Mzuzu on Monday due to poor visibility, but eventually returned to the capital Lilongwe. However, communication with the pilots was interrupted and the plane mysteriously disappeared from radar. The primary cause of the crash remains unknown. President Chakwera, who had just arrived on the ill-fated plane, shared his concerns, saying, “Something terrible has happened to this plane.”

President Chakwera ordered a search mission after the plane disappeared, prompting rescue teams to comb a foggy, forested area south of Mzuzu. On Tuesday, the remains of a Dornier 228-202K plane were discovered on the slope. In response to the accident, Chakwera canceled a planned trip to the Bahamas.

The neighboring country aided the effort by providing helicopters and drones to aid in the search. Chilima intended to attend the funeral of a former member of the Malawi government in Mzuzu, about 370km south of Lilongwe. Unfortunately, Shanil Dzimbiri, the country’s former First Lady, was also on board the plane.

Chilima was first elected vice president of Malawi in 2014. Known for his charisma, he was a highly popular politician, especially among the country’s younger generation. His political career took a turn for the worse in 2022 when he was dismissed from office over corruption allegations and subsequently detained. However, these charges were later dropped and he returned to his duties as vice president. He was preparing to compete for the presidency in the future, and the elections were scheduled for September 2025.

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